Do you like any songs in a foreign language you don't understand (care to name some)?
Do you like foreign-language music in a language you don’t speak? Those of you who’ve known me on previous sites would know that I love Japanese music and I also have a thing for Russian and Turkish music.
Particularly Ai Otsuka, Koda Kumi, Aya Matsuura, Biyuuden, Morning Musume, Grup Hepsi, Glukoza, Verka Serduchka, Tutsi, Slivki, et. al.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SKfToNBKLyc
I know I can’t understand these languages, but I like the sound of the music and the language. I have over 60 Japanese songs, many of which I can lip-sync along with. Even though I don’t know what the songs mean…
Observing members:
0
Composing members:
0
48 Answers
I don’t hear many to know if I like them or not, but normally I like knowing what they’re saying.
(Plus airow )
I love the song Mustafa by Queen. It sounds as if it’s in Arabic.
I really like the Gipsy Kings even though I know very little of what they are actually singing.
I like a lot of world music. I often cannot understand the language, but the music and singing can transcend that barrier.
I’m big on samba, Bossa Nova and Tropicalia despite not speaking a word of Brazilian Portuguese.
One of my favorite songs EVAR is Vou Festejar by Beth Carvalho, which I can sing phonetically, but I have no idea what she’s on about.
@Sr_Q
That music sounds awesome and is just the genre I like. I like Russian especially because I’m 75% Russian and my parents and bunch of my relatives speak it. I feel jealous…
Sukiyaki song. Ue o muite aruko.
Roman Hiko
I used to do both of these at the Karaoke Clubs when I went out with my Japanese coworkers.
Allie stole my answer. Hmph.
I love love love Antonio Carlos Jobim, Cafe Tacvba, Calic, Buena Vista Social Club, and I’ll listen to opera in any language!
There’s a song called “Elunde,” in an African language, maybe Swahili. It was on a sampler record called “Taboo” that came with the new phonograph my family purchased in about 1960. I would love to find it again, the whole record, in fact, but my efforts have been unsuccessful.
Besides that, there is basically all oif Italian opera, French opera, and Russian opera. (I don’t mention German opera because I did study German for four years.) I can figure out a lot of Romance languages from Latin, from cognates, and from reading opera libretti, and I can get by with tourist’s French, but I’m hopelessly at sea in Russian.
lol oh nevermind, I see u already know about jpop
Oh gosh. Super furry animals mwng album is fantastic and all in welsh. Some gruff Rhys solo tracks in welsh also. Great electro track called mi tiesto. Oh most of sigur ros. And Air at their French best.
Good question that.
@Pcrecords – I forgot about MWNG! It is a great album. Welsh is fun to listen to.
I listen to many Japanese artists (Tommy Heavenly6, Polysics, Mad Capsule Markets, Utada Hikaru, Sakamoto Maaya, Origa, Kitade Nana, Gackt to name a few) and occasionally to Indian, Korean and Russian music, as well as Björk’s early work in Icelandic.
I forgot about Israel Kamakawiwo’ole. One of my favorite albums is Facing Future. Half the songs on that album are sung in Hawaiian.
I like anything in Hebrew, though I can understand some of it. I love Russian anything, and I like a lot of Spanish music. I like some Japanese.
I like lots of stuff.
I like Treti Galaxie by Michel David a lot. It was in the movie Hostel. I think it’s Serbian.
Tryo is like French reggae. The song I linked isn’t very representative of their stuff, but good still. used to be able to understand them :(
Milla Jovovich – In A Glade
The soundtrack to Saawariya
Israel Kamakawiwo’ole as AC said.
And this genius.
I’m obsessed with anything by Sigur Rós, and I have a whole mix CD of Czech rock that my guy’s old roommates made for him years ago that I adore. I have no idea who the artists are, but the CD kicks ass.
I also like Ho Visto Un Re by Enzo Jannacci. My Italian is non-existent, sad to say, except for a few words and a bit of counting.
And for all you who don’t speak un mot de Français, Téléphone is a great band and MC Solaar is a kick-ass rapper.
Pretty much anything by Bob Dylan.
I wish I could understand his language…
And there are all those Klingon operas…
I love anything by Jarek Nohavica (Czech). Even though I do speak some basic Czech enough to survive a day in Prague, it is not enough to understand the songs, and I usually imagine them to mean something completely different than what they do, as in “na schledanou pane Franosramku, pilsicna uz koncila” (sp) which is a sad song about a guy in jail, but I always assumed was some sort of powerful political statement.
I like a lot of Enya songs that are in different languages.
Asereje—The Ketchup Girls
...really.
Ave Maria. I also like Salsa and Merengue’
I found some unknown Polish band whom I really don’t understand: http://www.jamendo.com/en/artist/Horda
And I often can’t hear the lyrics of songs whose language I do speak, as well :P.
Oh, I once heard a foreigner say he liked Acda en De Munnik even though he didn’t understand a word, which I can udnerstand because they use language in such a way that even the sound of the words they sing sound great on their own :)
@fullOFuselessINFO – that’s the Ketchup Song :)
Placebo – “Protege Moi”
it’s “protect me” in english, and they have an english version, but for some reason I prefer the French version.
As soon as i saw this question, i knew you were talking about Japanese music. yah, so throw in the normal variety of Anime-related songs.
But, i discovered the band that does the Leekspin.com song… is pretty cool, if you’re into folk… from other countries.
Also, i like Malajube (French)
oh and also “La Pour Ca” by Nada Surf.
Youssou N’Dour (Senegalese)
Although I understand Hebrew and some Arabic, I would recommend all of the following, even without understanding what they’re saying: Souad Massi; Kathem a-Saher; Fairuz; Shalom Chanoch; Avishai Cohen; Berry Sakharov
And from the Brazilian camp: Caetano Veloso; Antonio Carlos Jobim
Ooh, Joe Dassin is really great, though I don’t speak much French.
Also, Tomte is great even though they’re in German. Sort of like a German Minus the Bear.
Response moderated (Spam)
Answer this question 
This question is in the General Section. Responses must be helpful and on-topic.
Composing members:
0
